Rating: 
Summary: Almost too realistic!
Review: This expedition of a "suicide team" of 300 Spartans to join a few allies in trying to hold back Xerxes' 2 million Persian invaders is so real, that when the fighting starts, I just started wishing it would stop so that I could rest and catch my breath.The story of these few who paid the ultimate sacrifice is, without a doubt, one of the best historical novels that I have ever read. Seldom have battlefield descriptions been so real that I actually felt I was there, and not just observing. The storyline acquaints you with these odrinary men, who do extraordinary deeds, as though you grew up with them. I cannot recommend it too strongly. These brave men may be directly responsible for the survival of Greece and of democracy today. I would love to see what Spielberg could do with this! Way to go, Steven!
Rating:
Summary: Best thing I've read in two years
Review: Remarkable blend of historical fiction and the origins of Western military dogma. It's amazing how Pressfield portrays the motivation of warriors just the way Stephen Ambrose did it with D-Day, Citizen Soldiers, etc. Students of military history should read this.
Rating: 
Summary: Very boring. Poorly written.
Review: I'm shocked at how many good reviews this book gets. The character development is dismal, the dialog is the worst I've ever read. If you want to read about the battle, read pages 224-279. Be prepared to skip over many dull chapters. This book could stand heavy editing with a knife, cutting out most chapters. I'm bitter at having wasted my money on this tripe.
Rating:
Summary: Courage, Honor & Freedom
Review: Steven Pressfield's GATES OF FIRE does an admirable job revealing the true nature of freedom. Freedom's foundation is the concept of honor. And honor in its turn, breeds courage. The courage of the men and women in this book is inspiring. Pressfield's gritty account of the battle of Thermopylae and the ultimate sacrifice of the tiny band of Greeks who held it reawakens in the reader a welcomed sense of pride in humanity.
Rating:
Summary: Very enthralling
Review: A must read for anyone who appreciates ancient history, military history, classic literature, or just stories in general of sacrifice and valor. Even though the story itself is fictional, the fact that it is set against the backdrop of an historical event makes it that much more enthralling. It reads easily and quickly. I read it cover to cover in a matter of days, so taken was I, despite the fact that I knew the ending, so to speak. And as one reviewer wrote, this has Hollywood written all over it. (Sean Connery as Leonidas? Harrison Ford as Dienikes? Speilberg direction?)
Rating:
Summary: Awesome historical fiction
Review: One of the best books I have ever read. The point of view the story is told from gives you an interesting view of Spartan Society. The author makes you care about the characters, despite their numerous flaws and often harsh ways of thinking. This book makes one wonder what has happened to valor, discipline, and the love of one's country in our society today. I was sorry it ended-I tried not to read too much at once to make it last longer, but that didn't work. You can't put this book down.
Rating:
Summary: He got it right
Review: Why would an individual stand and face certain death in a hopeless battle? This is the fundamental question posed by Pressfield's gripping retelling of the battle of Thermopylae. The answer to that question is one known instinctively by every veteran of any war and an answer Pressfield got exactly right. As Gates of Fire so convincingly demonstrates, it is the bonds of love and friendship between warriors that gives them the strength to stand together against impossible odds. Pressfield also deserves kudos for his careful avoidance of most stereotypes. The Spartans are never presented as superhuman -- they feel fear, exhaustion, and love for their families just as other men. Likewise, the Persians are given credit for undeniable valor and skill of their own. I suppose one could quibble about minor and irrelevant factual inconsistencies in this book, but what's the point? The scholarship is generally very good, particularly in the depictions of hoplite warfare and the Spartan "agoge" training regimen. Pressfield's acceptance of Herodotus' inflated numbers may be more a function of the point of view of the narrator rather than due to an error on Pressfield's part. Finally, Pressfield's depiction of the warrior's sense of humor is dead on. The Thespian commander's dry final admonishment that the few remaining Spartans and Thespians should "just go out and have fun" as they began their final suicidal advance was priceless. A truly enjoyable book.
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Summary: A Must Read for All, Classicist or Not
Review: I have studied Classics for 12 years, and very few times have I read something as compelling as Gates of Fire. There are passages which will give you chills and bring a tear to your eye. Today, at Thermopylae, the slender mountain pass defended by the Spartans and their allies is no longer - but the statue of Leonidas, the Spartan King, still stands, bearing the inscription (in Greek): "Stranger passing by, go announce to the Lakedaimonians that here we lay, having fullfilled our duty." After reading this book, you will truly understand why the statue of Leonidas still stands proudly over Thermopylae, and why the world still remembers the incredible legacy which he and the Spartan state bequeathed to posterity.
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Summary: Definitive study about honor and courage.
Review: I read this book alone on a hunting trip and rarely have I come across a book that so described the virtues of honor and courage. As I put faces with the characters, my son became Alexandross and I became Dienikes. When Alexandross died, I openly wept. This is a warrior's tale and for many of us the last stand at the Phokian wall, described our feelings of honor and the act of overcoming fear which is courage. Magnificent.
Rating:
Summary: Deeply moving, indeed thrilling (despite anachronisms)
Review: This book required some suspension of disbelief (nitpickers, some of whom have written reader reviews here can detail the problems). However--and this is a big 'however'--once the necessary suspension is accomplished, one is borne along by the narrative, the astonishing action, the internal logic of Spartan culture, and the characters. I found tears rolling down my cheeks as I read, so moved by the heroism (and I am a skeptic by nature). (My husband, who teaches Homeric literature, also read and was thrilled by the book, too.) I was amazed to find myself so thrilled and moved but there you go.
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